Race Picks (the last season?), Uncle Max vs. The Points Leader: LAS VEGAS



EDITOR’S NOTE: Uncle Max is unavailable due to a heavy workload this week.  He texted me his picks last night.


TRUCK SERIES (6 wins) off


XFINITY SERIES (2 wins) Focused Health 302 (Saturday 7:30pm ET on CW) CONNOR ZILISCH—I still can’t believe a “302” race isn’t in Delaware.


CUP SERIES Bank of America ROVAL 400 (Sunday 5:30pm ET on USA) Points Leader picks DENNY HAMLIN.  Favorite (3 wins): RYAN BLANEY—time for Penske playoff magic.  Next Favorite (5 wins): CHRISTOPHER BELL—or maybe some JGR/Toyota magic.  Dark Horse (2 wins): BRAD KESELOWSKI—or just some dull fuel-mileage wizardry.



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Spade Racing Opens a 2025 Donruss Hobby Box: Pack 8 of 16


It’s back to new cards, with a “hobby box” of 2025 Donruss racing cards.  There’s sixteen packs, so join me as I go through each of them!


Pack 8 of 16: Seeing Double, the Racing Prodigy Bubble, and Future Trouble


First Look: Yeah, technically they’re different, but you’d think there’d be card-sorting technology in place to prevent getting the same dang card twice in a single pack by now.


To the Back: Hopefully Connor’s had a more well-rounded upbringing than Kyle Larson or Jeff Gordon.  Oh, and the car is safe—its the window rail that’s dangerous.


Say What: “You mean in the future my sponsor and team owners won’t be the same thing?”


Final Rating: 5 firesuits out of 10



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Spade Racing’s Stars in Unusual Cars: Darrell Waltrip (part 1)



Darrell Waltrip’s big break with Bud Moore (1975)

Join me throughout this year as I take a look at when some of the sport’s biggest stars drove some unusual cars! (Presented in no particular order).

Darrell Waltrip & Bud Moore, Courtesy NASCAR
Hall of Fame


Why? Darrell Waltrip started his NASCAR Cup career in his own equipment, but had a brief five-race stint with legendary team-owner Bud Moore in 1973.  Incidentally, this would prove to be the only time DW would race in a Ford until the final two years of his long Cup career.


How successful were they? Things started out well with an eighth-place finish in the Southern 500, but Waltrip failed to crack the top-twenty in his other four starts.


What was the aftermath? Waltrip moved back to his own cars, posting his first Cup win in a self-owned Chevy in 1975.  Bud Moore, meanwhile, continued to field race-winning cars.  Also of note, DW singled out Moore as one of his least-favorite car-owners to drive for in his autobiography.


Ranking on the Strange-O-Meter? 7 boogities out of 10—its just so random, going from your own cars to an established team…then hating it so much that you go BACK to your own cars.



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Foundational Bricks—The 1994 Brickyard 400, The Preview

In 2026 I’ll be taking a look back every Monday at the starting lineup (as well as a few cars who failed to qualify, some dignitaries, and more) from the inaugural Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  The race was part of NASCAR’s incredibly rapid rise from regional obsession to national powerhouse, and it’s hard to say that racing at The Racing Capital of the World didn’t help significantly in NASCAR’s ascension.





In addition, on October 1st I mailed out trading cards to all living competitors from the race (plus a few more people significant to its running).  Each entry will include any information gained from my simple question: “Memories of the 94 Brickyard 400?” and any autograph(s) returned.


So join me as I take a trip back in time to 1994, when NASCAR was about to have the rocket strapped to its back, and the Brickyard was the fuel.



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Race Picks (the last season?), Uncle Max vs. The Points Leader: CHARLOTTE (ROVAL)



Well, this is a bit embarrassing, but I, the sports gambling expert, am currently 0 for 4 in my longest-running (and best-paying) fantasy football league.  Yeah, me—the guy who’s won it more than anyone else.  How did this happen?

Well, to be honest, I had a pretty crappy draft—these things happen from time to time.  And plenty of distractions at work haven’t helped either.  But here’s hoping that I start to turn things around this weekend.  Because if not, there’s not much I can do, short of firing myself as my team’s general manager.


TRUCK SERIES (6 wins) Roval 150 (Friday 3:30pm on FS1) LAYNE RIGGS—ah, in the old Dover Truck Series race time slot I see.


XFINITY SERIES (2 wins) Blue Cross 250 (Saturday 4pm ET on CW) COLE CUSTER—…or is it Joe Hendry?


CUP SERIES Bank of America ROVAL 400 (Sunday 3pm ET on USA) Points Leader picks KYLE LARSON.  Favorite (3 wins): CHASE ELLIOTT—could it be as exciting as last week’s finish?  Next Favorite (5 wins): DENNY HAMLIN—a pretty easy way to deal with drama.  Dark Horse (2 wins): SVG—too hard to pick anyone else.



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Spade Racing Opens a 2025 Donruss Hobby Box: Pack 7 of 16


It’s back to new cards, with a “hobby box” of 2025 Donruss racing cards.  There’s sixteen packs, so join me as I go through each of them!


Pack 7 of 16: Alfredo, Dat Source ‘Doe, and Big Logo


First Look: “Dude Wipes”—not just a product name, but a statement of fact.


To the Back: Who the heck is going through PARADE for quotes?  Did Panini’s subscription to Look run out?


Say What: “I like having backing, but I wish people would stop asking me about that weird movie.”


Final Rating: 5 sets of tires out of 10


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Spade Racing’s Stars in Unusual Cars: Daniel Suarez



Daniel Suarez runs for the Gaunt Brothers (2020)

Join me throughout this year as I take a look at when some of the sport’s biggest stars drove some unusual cars! (Presented in no particular order).


Why? Daniel Suarez showed flashes of talent in three Cup seasons, running two years with Joe Gibbs Racing followed by one season with Stewart-Haas Racing.  However, he found himself without a top- or mid-level ride and was forced to settle for the backmarker operation of Gaunt Brothers Racing.


How successful were they? 2020 was a wasted year for Suarez—after failing to qualify for the Daytona 500, he would fail to post a single top-ten, and only THREE top-twenties.


What was the aftermath? Suarez received a lifeline at the new Trackhouse Racing Team, posting his first Cup win in 2022.  The Gaunt Bros. returned to a part-time schedule in 2021 before closing down at the end of that year.


Ranking on the Strange-O-Meter? 9 Daniel’s Amigos out of 10—its been half a decade and I still can’t believe he couldn’t find a better ride.



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The Hero Card Project 2025 Part 9


Click here for Part 8


Hero Cards!  They’re collectable, they’re colorful, and they’re free!  I have SASEs (Self Addressed Stamped Envelopes) going out to every Cup, Xfinity and Truck team, as well as a few major ARCA operations as well.  If you’re new to hero card collecting, check out my guide at herocardguide.com for step-by-step instructions on how to request hero cards, how to receive them, and how to store them.


Here’s my latest shipment of Hero Cards—these arrived earlier this week:

Two signed cards from Jesse Izumi

A signed Sammy Smith card from JR Motorsports




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Race Picks (the last season?), Uncle Max vs. The Points Leader: KANSAS


On the one hand, I’m not one to believe in curses, jinxes, or bad luck.  On the other hand, I hate talking about possible good news before it’s been confirmed.  So you can imagine how tough it is to go around work with everyone knowing I’m up for a promotion!

I think the first two interviews went pretty well, and it helps that I’ve been a loyal employee here for almost a decade.  Still, you never know who you’re up against—it could be someone with even MORE experience or, worse, the HR manager’s nephew.  Still, at least the anticipation gives me something to think about while I’m changing prices on a dreary Tuesday morning.


TRUCK SERIES (6 wins) Team EJP 175 (Saturday 12pm on FS1) LAYNE RIGGS—even better than Layne Murtaugh.


XFINITY SERIES (2 wins) Kansas Lottery 300 (Saturday 4pm ET on CW) AUSTIN HILL—plowing his way to victory in the heartland.


CUP SERIES Hollywood Casino 400 (Sunday 3pm ET on USA) Points Leader picks RYAN BLANEY.  Favorite (3 wins): JOEY LOGANO—give Penske credit, they know how to “flip the switch” in the playoffs.  Next Favorite (5 wins): WILLIAM BYRON—don’t count team Hendrick out.  Dark Horse (2 wins): JOSH BERRY—“although he has been mathematically eliminated, don’t count him out yet.”



www.spaderacing.com updated four times weekly


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Visit the store https://www.cafepress.com/spaderacing


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Spade Racing Opens a 2025 Donruss Hobby Box: Pack 6 of 16


It’s back to new cards, with a “hobby box” of 2025 Donruss racing cards.  There’s sixteen packs, so join me as I go through each of them!



Pack 6 of 16: Nobody Knows, the Legend Grows, and a Loose Hose


First Look: To this day I find industrial sponsorships like Haas Tooling to be rather strange.  I can understand watching a race and deciding to get some beer or shop at a store, but not saying to yourself, “I really need some CNC services”.


To the Back: Jesse Love has shown he can compete in the lower series, and is slowly making his way up the ladder.  He’ll be the next RCR driver to get second-rate equipment compared to Austin Dillon by 2028.


Say What: “I use this tubing to get fresh Love’s-branded bottled water piped through my firesuit.”


Final Rating: 6 tight race cars out of 10



www.spaderacing.com updated four times weekly


www.facebook.com/spaderacing


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Visit the store https://www.cafepress.com/spaderacing


Buy the book 100 Stock Car Racing What Ifs Unauthorized


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A MOXOC Media production

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